Conversation Hearts
by zoeros
Summary: What should have happened with Carol & Ed this Valentine's Day!
1. Two Hearts

The melted ice cream was all that was left to show for the night before. Ed sighed before grabbing the almost-empty Chunky Monkey carton and tossing it in the trashcan under his kitchen sink. He then leaned his back against the counter and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

He had always considered himself a fairly strong man. He had been through enough in his life that he had believed toughened him up- to an extent.

But this… this was a whole new ballgame. 

He had slept fitfully the night before- a total of maybe two hours. Every waking moment was spent fearing to sleep, for if he fell asleep he might dream. And if he dreamed, chances were it would be of her. Ed couldn't even face his dreams anymore.

The recent turn of events had begun when Mike and Nancy decided to throw a Valentine's Day dinner. Well, not true. It had began months ago when Dennis Martino had first stepped through the halls of Stuckeyville High school, into the life of Carol Vessey, and in turn- Ed Stevens. But it was the Valentine's dinner that made everything all too much.

Ed wasn't the kind of man to live in denial. The fact that Carol had a new boyfriend may not have been the easiest thing to swallow, but Ed wasn't about to kill himself over it. He just kept telling himself, _In time._ He was a man of hope. 

When it came time to ask someone to join him in dinner at the Burtons', Carol was his obvious first choice. But she was also just as obviously involved with Mr. Martino. The week before Valentine's Day, Carol and Ed were having a spontaneous lunch at the Pie Shop, and Ed decided to see what was really up with the principal and the English teacher.

"You and Dennis have big plans for V-Day?" he asked Carol, juggling the ice in his glass with a straw.

She didn't look at Ed, but remained concentrated on cutting her tomato into bite-size pieces. "No…actually, he hasn't even mentioned it. Kind of funny, huh?" She tried to smirk it off, but Ed could see she was getting worried.

"I'm sure it's a surprise or something," he volunteered, signaling the waitress to fill up their Cokes.

Carol just looked at Ed and smiled that smile. "He's not Ed Stevens. He's Dennis Martino. Ed is the one with the surprises up his sleeves."

He smiled like he was embarrassed. "Right, right." Ed sighed. "Well, you know, Mike and Nancy are having that dinner party."

"They are? I didn't even…" She stopped, blinking her eyes rapidly. 

Ed quickly recognized his error. "You haven't seen either of them for a couple days, right? I'm sure they haven't gotten the chance to talk to you about it."

Carol simply nodded, pushing her food around on her plate with her fork, layers of yellow hair shielding her eyes.

After a couple minutes of silence she looked at Ed, as if she were looking into him, not at him. "Ed."

"Yeah."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

At his response she crossed her arms on the table, cocked her head to the side, and squinted as if in deep concentration.

"Will you take me to the dinner?"

He just stared right back at her, his mouth slowly curving into a grin. "Why, Carol Vessey. Afraid of being stood-up on Valentine's, are we?" He laughed.

"No… that's not it. I've just thought about this, and I think… I would rather spend this holiday with a really good friend than… someone I'm dating." She stopped, surveying his response. "I feel like I've missed out on things lately, not just with you- but Mike and Nancy as well."

"You know I'd be more than happy to take you…"

"But?"

Ed sighed, resting his elbow on the tabletop, his hand under his chin. "What about Dennis? I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning to an irate High school principal wanting to pound me to the ground."

Carol laughed, kicking Ed lightly under the table. "Let me worry about him. You just worry about what time to pick me up on Thursday."

"In that case, I surely will."

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The next afternoon after school was let out, Carol met up with Dennis in his office. She pranced her way in, sitting down in a chair in front of his desk.

"Dennis, I just wanted to tell you that I have plans for Valentine's Day." She crossed her legs.

He looked up from his papers, his eyebrows raised in that annoying way.

"Oh? What kind of plans?"

"I'm having dinner with a few friends. Since you haven't said anything about it, and since I haven't had much free time lately to see them," She cleared her throat. "I agreed to join them."

"Alright. Thanks for letting me know." He looked back down at the notebook in his hand.

Carol moved in her chair, re-crossing her legs. "That's it?"

"What? Did you expect me to pitch a huge fight? Carol." He spoke to her in the same tone one would use if talking to a toddler. "It's just Valentine's Day. This 'holiday' was just created by the candy and greeting card industries,"

_That's such an over-used excuse, _Carol thought.

"It doesn't have any real meaning, certainly not to me." Dennis continued. "I thought you'd be more grounded than that."

"Right. I should have known you'd see things that way. Sorry to take up your time." Carol got up, tugged at her cardigan, and closed the door behind her.

"What's she going to come up with next?" Dennis smirked, shook his head and continued reading his papers.

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Friday night, as usual, was a busy night at the bowling alley; at least on Stuckeyville terms. Carol managed to find a parking place in the third aisle of cars and entered Stuckeybowl, noticing as she went in that the 'C' and 'E' were blinking.

Phil was nowhere in sight, but Kenny was in his place at the shoe stand, distributing pairs to a familiar-looking group of High school students.

"Warren!" Carol called, smiling big.

"Miss Vessey! What brings you to- ah, never mind," Warren grinned his mischievous grin and held his pointer finger in the air as if showcasing his brilliance. "Looking for someone, eh? Not to name any names-"

Kenny cut him off. "I believe I saw Ed go into the back room." 

"Kenny. Warren. Is it not possible that I just came here to enjoy a Friday evening of bowling?" Carol looked from one to the other. The two started laughing.

"Right… bowling, I'm sure. Have a fun night, Miss Vessey," Warren said, raising his eyebrows and picking up his size ten's before walking to his lane where Mark, Diane and a few of his other friends were waiting for him.

"So, Carol. Size seven, right?" Kenny asked, leaning down. By the time he came up with the shoes, Carol was just a plaid skirt disappearing through the back door. Kenny shook his head, put the shoes back, and asked the next customer their size. 

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Ed was in deep concentration with the bowling pin machine on lane thirteen when he felt little objects being pelted at his back. He turned around to find Carol, her hand full of Sweethearts Conversation candies. He smiled and put down his screwdriver.

"What is with you always throwing things at me? First string cheese, now this? Aggression problems, huh?"

"You're one to talk, with the waffles," Carol looked at the purple candy in her hand and read, "Cool Guy," before crunching down on it. 

"Yeah, I know it," he laughed. "So what's going on?"

"That Smile." She ate the white one. She noticed he was wearing that yellow bowling shirt of his and felt herself starting to melt beyond her control.

"So that's how it's gonna be? Two can play at this game." Ed grabbed several of the hearts from Carol and stood in front of her. "Look Good." He retorted, eating the yellow heart.

"URA QT." 

Ed looked Carol straight in the eyes with this one. "Be Mine."

"Why Not." Carol smirked, the pink heart going in her mouth.

"Dare You." He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, his hand resting on her neck. Carol's eyes fluttered closed when she felt his breath on her cheek.

As they edged closer, she whispered the next one without reading it. "Kiss Me…"

Ed was about to do just that when who but Phil Stubbs practically fell into the back room.

"Hey Bosco, have you fixed the-" Phil started, before realizing what he had walked in on. Carol and Ed acted like two junior-high students caught by their parents; quickly jumping about five feet apart, causing the heart candies to go flying. "Whoa… sorry, I will converse with you later on this matter. Over and out." He made a little clicky noise with his mouth before turning on his heel.

The two watched Phil close the door behind him, neither looking at each other.

"I'll clean these up," Carol suggested, pushing up her sleeves and starting to pick up the hearts.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it," He took her hands in his own, getting her off the floor.

She shook her hands free and bit her bottom lip. "I need to leave. I'll… I'll probably see you tomorrow."

"Why?" He questioned as she headed for the door. "I mean, why are you leaving? I thought…"

"Ed… I don't really know what… what THAT was, but I am with Dennis." Her lips pursed at his name.

"If Dennis is your boyfriend, why are you spending Friday night with me? Or Valentine's Day, for that matter?"

"How him and I choose to spend our time is really not your business." Carol stated firmly, moving closer to him and crossing her arms.

"Damnit, Carol." He grabbed one of the candies ("Two Hearts") and threw it against the wall. It didn't even break, which seemed to make the situation even more pathetic. "It becomes my business when we almost kiss." His eyes widened to stress the point that he had said it out loud. She didn't reply, just looked at his shoes. "Why are you even here, anyway? Don't you know that it just makes it worse when you're constantly around me? When things like this happen and I can't do what I want to do, or say what I want to say? Don't you know that?"

She looked at his face now, her eyes brimming with tears at his words. "I…" she stammered. Ed realized his mistake too late. "I'm sorry. I just came here to tell you that I talked to Dennis. And he's fine about me going to dinner with you guys. I'll be there." Carol grabbed the door handle, and turned her head to him one more time before leaving. "Good night, Ed."

He didn't run after her, just sat on the ground, slowly tossing the remaining candy hearts at the wall. 


	2. Her Blessing

On Sunday morning, Mike and Ed were shooting hoops and having their usual guy-talk. Ed told Mike about what had happened Friday, and even though Mike really wasn't interested (what else is new?), being the friend he is, he tried to give advice.

"Ed. C'mon. You almost kissed for what- the billionth time now? Dude, just do it. Just kiss her. If anything, just do it so that I don't have to listen to this anymore." Mike beseeched, missing his shot.

"I wish I could, but even if the moment is right… she's dating Dennis now. She can't be locking lips with just anyone."

"Wasn't she with Nick when you two kissed the first time?" Mike pointed out, passing Ed the ball. Ed made a clean shot, no rim.

"Yeah. But that doesn't make it any more right."

"Regardless, I think your first step is to ask for forgiveness for being a jackass." The good doctor commented, making his shot.

"Hey, hey. I never said I was a jackass… alright, maybe I was." Ed smiled wryly. "But can you really blame me, after everything…"

"I guess not. Maybe you just need to wait this out."

Ed rested the ball on his hip. "How much longer? I've been back home for far over a year now. And besides being the occasional jackass," He gave Mike that 'shut up' look. "I've romanced, I've charmed, I've become one of her best friends. No such luck at becoming more. I'm just starting to think, if all of that didn't work, why should anything change?"

Mike slapped his friend lightly on the arm. "I don't know. I hope it will. For your sake and mine. Hey, you're bring her to the dinner on Thursday right?" Ed nodded. "See… you never know. Luck can change."

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So Ed, being the man that he is, decided to take his luck into his own hands. After he left the Burtons', he headed over to Carol's and knocked.

"Just a minute!" he heard, muffled through the front door. Sure enough a minute later Carol appeared, out of breath, her hair thrown up haphazardly, wearing old jeans and a gray zip-up hooded sweatshirt. "Ed!" she looked genuinely happy to see him, which he thought odd after what had happened.  
"Good morning, Carol Vessey."

"Morning to you too."

"Do you have a couple minutes? I just wanted to talk to you." He looked behind her a bit. "I'm not interrupting anything?"

"Oh, no, no, no… come on in. I was just attempting to clean house." She laughed and let him follow her into the living room, where the television was on (Disney channel, he noted) and boxes were strewn, a few stacked somewhat precariously. "Want something to drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks. 'Even Stevens' huh?" Ed smiled, nodding his head toward the TV. Carol looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but what else is on weekend mornings? That kid on there reminds me of you, by the way. Always doing crazy schemes," They smiled at each other.

"Looks like you're starting Spring-cleaning rather early," he said, grabbing one of the perched boxes right before it was going to fall. It left a light line of dust on his baseball-style sweater.

"Well, I was looking for something of mine from years ago, and I couldn't for the life of me find it, and I got really frustrated with all of the stuff I had piled up in the attic and in closets, you know how it gets. So I decided to do something about it," She nodded her head up and down to prove her point.

"Wanna do my house when you're done here?" He joked. Carol rolled her eyes.

"You said you wanted to talk about something?" She grabbed a stack of novels and filed them into one of her bookshelves.

"Oh, right. I just, I was thinking about Friday evening," They gave each other a look. "And I wanted to apologize for what I said. I was caught up in… the moment, and I hope I didn't upset you. That was my last intention."

"I know it. Don't worry about it; it's over and done with. No hard feelings," Carol smiled, not showing her teeth.

Ed sat down on her couch and was silent for a minute. "Carol," She stopped her re-shelving and sat down beside him. He looked into her eyes. "Are you saying that what I told you didn't matter to you?"

Carol sighed. "It did. But I looked back at the situation, and you know what I realized? It was my fault. So I know that there's no reason for me to feel hurt, when I'm the one who hurt you initially."

"That's not true. It's not your fault that I…" He paused to think of the right word. "that I care about you. I brought everything on myself. I just want to make sure that this won't affect our friendship in a negative way."

"It won't. And Ed, I care about you too. You know that." She whispered, reaching up to run her fingers along his cheek.

"Right. I know." Ed got up and scratched the back of his head. "I should go. I'm gonna go now." 

"Okay. Thanks for coming by," Carol smiled. "I'll see you later."

"Later. Later is good. Bye." He mumbled, closing the front door behind him. Carol smiled to herself and went back to her boxes.

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Valentine's Day rolled around before anyone knew it. On her free period, Carol ran over to the bowling alley and found Ed.

"Hey, you." She hit him lightly on his stomach with a red envelope.

"Hey yourself. Happy V-Day!" He wrapped Carol into a big bear hug.

"Happy Valentine's too! Here, I have a card for you." She gave him the envelope.

"Oh, I don't have yours here-" Ed apologized.

"It's okay. Just open it." So he did. The front of the card stated 'True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island. To find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing. -Baltasar Gracian.' Inside, in Carol's teacher-print, she had written, _Happy Valentine's Day to my blessing. Thank you for teaching me what it is to have a true friend_. _Always, Carol_

"That… that's so sweet, Carol. It means a lot to me. Thanks," Ed was sincere. He pecked her lightly on the cheek.

"Sure thing. Well, I guess I should get back to the school. I just wanted to drop by for a second to see you before tonight."

"That's right," He stated, as if he had forgotten. "I'm picking you up at seven?"

"Yep. See you then," She grinned at him before spinning around and leaving as quickly as she had come.

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To be continued…


	3. Valentine's Dinner

At six fifty-seven, Ed was on Carol's doorstep. He was wearing black pants and a gray sweater, which was itching his neck.

"Wow." He exclaimed when he stepped inside and saw her. She had on a mid-length red wine-colored spaghetti-strap dress, and her hair was curled. "You look… amazing."

Carol laughed. "Thanks, I'm also freezing! Can you help me into my coat?" She asked, handing him it. He obliged.

"So, you're sure you wanna go to this dinner, huh?" He asked, squeezing her shoulders. "I can think of more fun things to do…" He joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

She giggled, grabbing her purse. "As good as you look- and you do look good- I'm going to have to go with the dinner."

Ed sighed in mock-defeat and they left the house.

They arrived at the Burtons' a few minutes after Molly and Jim. Everyone hugged and gathered in the dining room while Mike brought out the food.

"So wait, why is Mike doing this?" Ed asked Nancy, who was sitting next to him at one end of the table.

Nancy laughed. "I told him either he makes the food or he serves it. Let's just thank God he chose the later."

"Amen to that!" Carol said. Everybody agreed, laughing when Mike came back in with the final plate.

Ed was dishing some of the mashed potatoes onto Carol's plate for her when the doorbell rang. Nancy looked around, mentally checking off the number of people present. Everyone was accounted for. She gave Mike a shrug and went to get the door.

They heard the door open, and a very sad-sounding Nancy said, "No…" Carol and Ed looked at each other in confusion. Mike was just about to get up to see what was going on, when who but Dennis Martino waltzed his way in, a defeated Nancy in tow.

Dennis looked around the room as if he had dinner here with these people every week. "Molly," He nodded, before turning toward Carol. "Hey, Ed." He spoke to a miserable looking bowling-alley-lawyer. "Carol."

"Yes, Dennis?" Carol looked pretty aggravated, having noticed the look in Ed's eyes when Dennis walked in.

"I just wanted to tell you I changed my mind." The principal shoved his way in-between Carol and Ed. Nancy, Mike, Molly, and Jim were transfixed by the scene. It was kind of like a car crash… you just had to watch. Ed, on the other hand, was staring straight down at his empty plate.

"Can we talk in private?" Carol mumbled, realizing the staring that was directed toward them.

"I suppose so."

Carol apologized to Nancy and Mike before leading Dennis into the kitchen.

"You certainly are dressed up." Dennis noted, running his finger under one of her straps.

"What exactly did you change your mind about?" Carol asked, shaking his hand away.

"Valentine's Day. I was thinking, and if it's important to you, that's all that should matter. So, do you want to go do something?" He squinted that annoying way that he tends to do, and Carol, being the complete fool she is, fell for it.

"Okay." She simply said, a smile wrestling at her lips. 

Meanwhile, in the dining room, an awkward silence had taken over the group of friends. Everyone kept looking between Carol's empty chair and the door to the kitchen.

"Eddie…" Nancy started, trying to take his hand.

"Don't, Nance." He simply said, grabbing a roll and pouring himself some more wine. "I'm fine." Anyone could see he was lying. His sky-blue eyes were a little more watery than usual and his eyebrows a little closer.

Carol and Dennis came out, everyone's eyes on them. Carol had her coat over her arm, her other one linked with Dennis', a sight Ed turned away from.

"We… we're going to go. I'll make it up to you two," She told Mike and Nancy, half-hugging them both.

Nancy whispered to her, "We're not the ones you have to make it up to." Carol just looked at her before going over to Ed.

"Hey," She said so that he would look at her. "I'm going to call you tomorrow, okay? Thanks so much for this."

Ed didn't say anything, just took another sip of wine. Carol waited for a minute before she let Dennis lead her out the door.

Dinner progressed slowly after that, and the conversation turned to other matters. Ed, however, spoke a total of five words, and those were, "Please pass the butter." and "Thanks." The two couples were worried about him, but what could they do? This blow-off wasn't different than any of the previous ones in that regard.

The evening eventually drew to a close, and as Nancy and Mike watched Ed walk to his car, they held onto each other a little bit tighter.

"Carol is a numbskull, Mike. I love that girl, but there has never been anyone who is a bigger fool." Nancy said as they wandered back inside.

Mike nodded his head in agreement. "Ed doesn't care."

"I think that after tonight, he might."

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At home that same night, Ed proceeded to drown his sorrows in Ben & Jerry's and classic TV, trying his best to distract himself from the circumstances of the day. He wandered aimlessly around his house, coming across the card he never gave Carol on his kitchen counter. He almost threw it away, but instead put it under some magazines on his coffee table, then miserably failed at trying to get a good night's sleep.

Which brings us to the next morning and melted ice cream.

After throwing the carton away, he came to the conclusion that what he needed was a break from all of… this. He needed a break from his life.

He called Mike, told him what he was doing, and packed an overnight bag. Then he threw it in his Explorer and headed for the Big Apple.

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Early that afternoon, Carol and Molly were having lunch at the Pie Shop.

"What was the deal with last night?" Molly asked. "That was really inconsiderate of you."

Carol stopped in mid-chew of her sandwich. "Is this another one of your 'Here's what's wrong with you Carol' speeches?"

"No, God. I'm just saying, you broke Ed's heart. And for what? A night with Dennis? Please, Carol."

Carol looked straight at Molly. "I didn't break his heart. I know I was rude, but I'm going to make it up to him." Molly gave her a look. "Really, I am."

"The only way I can see how he would forgive you is if you married the man." Molly stated, drinking her Coke.

Carol raised her eyebrows and pointed her fork at her friend. "For your information, I came to a conclusion last night. And Dennis and I…" She drew out her sentence before going into a whisper. "We broke up."

Molly started choking. "Did I hear you correctly? You and Bad-Ass-Martino are splitsville?" Carol nodded.

"I just… didn't feel comfortable with him anymore."

"And you did in the first place?" Molly looked at her with an expression of mock-shock on her face.

"Plus, he kept giving me razors, which started to freak me out." 

"No kidding." Molly stared at Carol. "So that's it, huh? You guys broke up on Valentine's? And you're fine?"

Miss Vessey paused a minute. "You know, I really am. I don't feel bitter or anything… I feel lighter, actually."

"I'm assuming you haven't informed Ed about this."

"No, I was planning on stopping in on him after school. I have a whole apology scheme that's worthy of a Steven's." She grinned, pleased with herself. "Why?"

"Because, Carol… he's gone."

Carol dropped her fork. "Gone."

"Yeah, I saw him this morning at the Coffee Shop when he was on his way to New York, he said-"

But Carol hauled ass out of the store and jumped in her car before Molly finished her sentence.

"…he just needed to get away for a couple days."

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To be continued…


	4. Bite My Tongue

Note: In the last chapter I had Molly & Jim together. This was written during Valentine's Day, when we didn't know anything about Jim's wife. Just wanted to clear up any confusion. Thanks so much for the reviews!! J 

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Ed was just about two hours into his mini-road trip and was beginning to enjoy himself. He hadn't had time alone in forever, it seemed. He sang along loudly to the radio, "From now on I'm gonna start holding my breath when you come around and you flex that fake grin. 'Cause something inside of me has said more than twice that breathing less air beats breathing you at all. I don't want to talk to you anymore, I'm afraid of what I might say. I bite my tongue every time you come around…"

He had called ahead and booked a room in a hotel off of 5th Avenue. He was looking forward to being able to walk through the streets, not afraid of running into her everywhere he went.

"There's something to be said about big cities," He told himself, even though he knew that the more he was there, the more he'd long for Stuckeyville.

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Carol, in the meantime, had driven by Ed's house, where his car was missing from the driveway, and then stopped by the bowling alley to confirm Ed's absence. She tried to get information out of Shirley, but she simply had said, "I don't have the ability to disclose that information." Phil hadn't been any help either, just smirked and shook his head, mumbling something and calling her 'Blondie.' All in all, she left the alley more confused than she had been when she came. 

So she hit the road, following the same path Ed had taken a couple hours before.

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Now in Pennsylvania, Ed was about an hour and a half from the city when he decided to pull over and get something to eat. He found a little diner-slash-bar off of the highway called 'Sweet Misery' and went in.

The place was pretty much empty except for an overweight man sitting at the bar, his back to Ed, and a young couple eating in a booth.

"One?" The waitress asked, grabbing a menu. Ed nodded. Even though she was definitely in her sixties, her kind brown eyes sparkled as if she were a teenager. Her tag on her blouse read 'Ruth'. He immediately liked this woman.

"What would you suggest to eat?" Ed questioned, after Ruth brought him his beer.

"Depends. Do you like red meat?" She grabbed her order pad from her apron, her chubby hand clutching a pencil.

"Yep," Ed responded.

"Okay. Do you like salad?"

"Uh-huh."

"I'll get you one of our specials, then." She smiled at him and went back to the kitchen.

Ed hardly noticed she had left, he was flashing back to a similar conversation he had had not too long ago with Carol. _Ed eats dogs_. He smiled to himself. Despite what had happened, he couldn't help but miss her.

By the time Ruth brought out his meal, he looked just about on the verge of tears.

"Honey, what on earth is the matter?" She pulled out the chair next to him, prepared to listen.

Ed wasn't usually the kind of guy to open up to random strangers, but for some reason this was different. He started to talk about Carol, and everything just spilled out- how his High school crush had changed into so much more- into a friendship he couldn't imagine living without. How every other woman he met was compared to her. How when he pictured his children, they had blonde hair and her smile. And how he knew that, deep down, she had to feel the same way. Just had to. Because he saw it in her face when they were in a crowd of people, and he felt when she touched him.

"What I don't get… is why she doesn't just admit it. Why she's with this other guy. When it's so obvious, to me and to everyone else, for that matter, that we don't belong with anyone else." He looked at Ruth, his untouched plate still on the table. They must have been sitting there for over an hour, he realized.

"Dear, I don't know this woman, but I can tell you from my own experience- sometimes what is the most easy thing in the world for one person can be the hardest for another. I think your Carol may just need more time." She patted his hand.

"See, that's what everyone keeps saying to me. That's what she keeps saying. 'We're not ready for each other.' Hell, Ruth… I've been ready for her since the day I came back to Stuckeyville. Everyday when I wake up, something is missing. And throughout the day, I can forget about it and be busy with everything else in my life. But it's there again when I go to sleep at night. This nagging feeling… this reminder that I'm alone."

Ruth and Ed continued to talk for a while longer, until she finally decided to re-heat his dinner. After he was finished, he thanked her profusely for the conversation and gave her his card, in case she was ever in need of a lawyer or a friendly place to bowl.

"The bowling would be on me, of course." He smiled.

"I just hope I helped you, Honey." She hugged him and watched as he drove away.

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Not even two minutes later, Ruth was clearing Ed's table when a pretty blonde walked in.

"Hi, one please?" She said to Ruth. The expression on her face was heart-breaking, almost the same as Ed's had been… 

"Of course," Ruth gave the girl an odd look. "Are you okay, Dear?" She asked as she sat down.

"It's Carol." She tried to smile, holding out her hand. "And… I think I'll be fine, once I find what I'm looking for."

Ruth just stared at her for a minute, not taking her hand.

"You said your name was Carol?"

Carol nodded. "Carol Vessey. I'm from Stuckeyville. You might not have heard of it, it's a little town in-"  
"-Ohio." Ruth finished for her.

"Actually, yes! You know of it?" Carol was starting to relax.

"Someone just stopped in here from there… I think you might know him. Ed Stevens."

Carol jumped up from her chair. "Ed was here? What did he say? Where did he go?" The questions flew from her mouth. The grin on Ruth's face grew wider as she answered her.

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To be continued…


	5. Fated

Another note: The song Ed was singing along to in the last chapter was 'Blood on the Ground' by Incubus.

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As she shifted her car into drive, Carol felt like her lungs were going to explode. She was so close to Ed… according to Ruth, she was now only about five minutes behind him on the road. 

A couple minutes after leaving the diner, she heard sirens and saw lights flashing in her rear-view mirror.

"Damnit!" She cursed and pulled off to the side to wait for the officer.

"Evening, Ma'am." The cop grumbled, his book of citations in hand. "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Carol sighed. "Yes, I was speeding." She opened her glove box and handed him her insurance information along with her license. 

He took them, pulling his hat further back on his graying head and resting his hand on the top of her car. "Fifteen miles over the limit. What was your reason for speeding?"

"I'm in a hurry… you see," She looked down, trying to stop her eyes from getting watery. "I did something horrible to someone who cares a lot about me, and he left- and I've got to find him before he turns my mistake into his own mistake."

"I see." The cop furrowed his brow and kept writing. "Well Miss Vessey," he handed her back her information. "Watch your speed and have a good night."

"Thank you, officer, you too." She said.

After he pulled away, she looked down at the ticket he had handed her, only to find a note-'Tell him. Good luck' A grin broke out on her face as she felt tears start to fall. _Looks like the generosity of strangers doesn't just exist in Stuckeyville_, she thought, pulling back out onto the highway.

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__

By the time Ed reached his hotel, he was exhausted. Almost ten hours on the road can do that, especially considering his two hours of sleep the night before. He checked in and collapsed on his bed, falling to sleep immediately.

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Carol, since she had no idea where Ed was staying, had no choice but to just pick a hotel. Once she got settled in, she grabbed the Yellow Pages and called up as many hotels as she could, asking each if Ed Stevens was a registered guest. Either he wasn't, or they couldn't disclose their guests names. Finally, around one, she fell asleep, the phone book across her stomach, her hand still clutching the receiver.

__

Early the next morning, after calling a few more hotels, she grabbed some coffee at a café on the corner and then hailed a taxi to Ed's former place of employment, the law offices of Farmer & Sheehan. She forgot until she got there that it was a Saturday- and the building wasn't open. Carol felt a headache coming on as the fear of not finding him grew in her chest. _I didn't know something like this could physically hurt, _she thought as she wandered around the nearby streets aimlessly. 

Her walking took her past Rockefeller Center and she leaned over one of the railings, staring at the skaters and remembering another ice skating rink and a birthday present. _Too bad this isn't like the movies,_ she thought to herself. _If it was, Ed would magically appear, skates in hand_. She looked around at the crowd, but he wasn't there. Carol wrapped her coat a little tighter around her and kept walking.

-------------------------------------

Ed had finally rolled out of bed around ten, got dressed, and set out to do some walking of his own. He took the subway, not wanting to deal with the shopping crowd on 5th Avenue, and got off at Rockefeller Center. As he was walking up the stairs to the street, he could have sworn he saw Carol walk right by him, the flippy blonde hair and all. But when he reached the top, she was no where in sight. _What am I thinking? She's in Stuckeyville. Probably hasn't even realized I've left._ He rolled his eyes at himself. _Looks like the big city isn't doing the trick._

-------------------------------------

It was late afternoon, and Carol still had not had any luck. Plus, her stomach was making noises. Deciding to take a break, she grabbed a taxi and asked the driver to take her to the nearest bowling alley.

-------------------------------------

After shopping at one of his old favorite bookstores Ed realized that he was close to the famous Bowlmor Lanes and decided to stop in for fun.

Even though it was Saturday, it wasn't yet late enough for the popular place to be packed. Ed grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered a beer, looking behind him at the place. He was definitely impressed. He had been there before, but not since owning Stuckeybowl. Bowlmor looked more like a nightclub than anything else, with its private rooms and windows from the bar looking over the lanes.

He small chatted with the bartender, who had actually heard of the bowling-alley-lawyer from Ohio.

"What brings you to New York?" The young woman asked, grabbing him another beer.

"I used to live here, actually. I'm just back on a little spur-of-the-moment visit." He smiled. If he had been at a different place in his life, she was the kind of girl he would have asked out. But right now he couldn't look at her watch without realizing it was the same one that Carol wore. The girl left him and went to wait on other customers.

-------------------------------------

As Carol left the elevator and entered Bowlmor Lanes, her eyes widened in amazement. This place was definitely not your run-of-the-mill bowling alley. She moved in between a few people, trying to get through to the bar area. 

That was when she saw him. His stool was near the end of the bar, and she could see his profile, his hand resting on his drink. It took a minute for her to remember how to breathe, and a minute longer to remember how to walk. She smoothed her hair back with her fingers as she approached him, his eyes still staring at the mirror in front of him.


	6. Better for You

Ed saw her reflection in the mirror next to his own image and didn't believe his eyes until he turned to see her in the flesh, inches away from him. He drew in a breath sharply as his heart did flip-flops_. She's here, she's here, _he kept thinking, feeling like a teenage boy all over again.

"Hi," Carol spoke the word so softly that he wasn't sure she had said it at all. Before his heart could let him react, his mind took over, reminding him what she had done.

"What are you doing here?" He tore his eyes away from hers and back to his drink. His response to her took her off-guard. This wasn't the way she had expected Ed to greet her.

"I… I'm not sure actually. I just wanted to feel close to you."

"So you came to New York?" He asked bluntly, ripping the label off his beer.

"No… I mean… yes, but I thought you meant what I was doing here, at the bowling alley, and… never mind." Her throat felt so sore that she was sure her heart was in it. For an English teacher, she was certainly having a hard time with sentences. The words seemed to just fall out of her mouth, her brain having no input. "I came to New York to find you. I wanted to tell you-"

"What? What was so important that you had to drive here and search the city for me?" As he said the words, the realization came to him- she _had_ driven here to find him. 

Carol's mouth hung open, not sure exactly how to say it. This wasn't how she had pictured it happening, wasn't how he was supposed to be acting. She sat down on the stool next to him, noticing that he moved his leg so that it wouldn't touch hers. It felt as if it had been years since they had seen each other, the awkwardness they were experiencing wasn't usual of two people who spoke every day.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He still didn't look at her. "Ed." She took his face in her hand and forced him to turn towards her. "I'm sorry. I came to say I'm sorry." She repeated, noticing that his eyes were slightly red.

"What is it that you're sorry for, Carol?" He spoke her name for the first time, letting the last syllable linger on his tongue. Her hand was cold on his skin, and he could feel it shaking.

"Everything." She dropped her hand, saying the word with so much meaning that it caused them both to get teary.

After a minute, Ed looked down and shook his head. "Let's… go somewhere else."

Carol nodded in agreement and got up from the stool, Ed following her example. She grabbed his elbow, relieved when he didn't push her hand away as they forced through the built-up crowd.

Once outside, they both put their hands in their coat pockets, walking slowly on the sidewalk, a few feet between them.

"You can't do this, Ed." Carol was the first to speak. He turned to look at her.

"Do what?"

"Leave like this. I can't let you. I know you're so much happier back in Stuckeyville, and giving it up just because-" Ed cut her off.

"Whoa. Wait a minute." His eyebrows furrowed. "I'm just here on a break. I didn't leave for good. You think I would leave town, forever, just because of Valentine's Day?"

She didn't reply, but inside she was smacking herself for being such an idiot.

"I may have come home for you, Carol. But I'm not about to leave home for you." He said, noticing as he did that it was the wrong thing to say. After a couple minutes of walking in silence, he spoke again.

"Sorry. I didn't mean that. Or, maybe I did, but I shouldn't have said it. I guess part of me just wants to… hurt you back. As horrible as that may be."

She shook her head, her nose wrinkling. "I deserve it. I deserve worse."

He stopped in his tracks, grabbing both of her arms in his hands.

"Carol, no. You deserve so much. So much good. I can't think of one person who is worthy of you. As much as it's hurt these past two years, I count myself very lucky to have you as my best friend." She started to cry at his words and he slowly pulled her into him.

"That's not true. Everyone says…" She looked up at him. "Everyone says you're the one who is too good for me. That I'm not deserving. And it's true, Ed. It's true. You're too good."

Ed looked at her, seeing all at once in her brown eyes the girl he had crushed on from afar and now the woman he loved. 

"That's why…" She took a deep breath, pulling back slightly from his arms to see him better. "That's why I've been so adamant about being 'just friends.' I want you to find someone who is better for you."

"There is no one better for me. There never has been." He wiped her tears on her cheek away with his thumb.

They stared at each other for a minute, each seeing things that they hadn't before.

"Do you want to… get some dinner?" He asked, understanding how minor the question was compared to the words they had just said.

"Sure. Dinner would be nice." She smiled. As they continued walking, she slipped her arm around his waist. He put his around her shoulders and she rested her head on him as they wandered into the night and all it held.

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To be continued…

BTW- Thanks for the reviews! They're very appreciated!!


	7. Worth the Fight

The two found a little Italian restaurant and ordered their meals.

"Y'know, this almost feels like just another night in Stuckeyville," Carol said as Ed poured himself and Carol a glass of wine.

Ed said, "How so?"

"It feels like we just took a walk in the park, and now we're eating at the Smiling Goat. Or something," She shook her head, not really knowing how to describe it.

Ed just looked at her for a moment. "That would be familiarity. You feel comfortable."

"Yeah, I guess I do," She smiled slightly. "I feel at home anywhere with you."

He smiled. "Good."

"So… what are we doing now?" She asked.

"Eating dinner?" They laughed.

"No, I mean… is everything going to go back to normal?" Carol fingered her earlobe, her elbow on the table.

"I hope not. I wasn't happy with 'normal.'" 

Carol hesitated before saying, "Me neither." Ed raised his eyebrows at her response, his face saying 'Really!'

"Ed…" She started, staring in his eyes. "You have never made your feelings a secret. Starting with the knight costume. And the skywriting. And the waffles. And the stars… do you need me to go on? I know there's some I missed," She laughed silently, tugging at her earlobe more. "But… I have kept things secret. I've never been very good at putting my emotions into words, except when I'm writing. And even when I'm around people I'm the most comfortable with- like you- I can't always say what I want to. Something just… makes the words stay inside. I don't know. That one time last Valentine's Day, when I told you I was jealous… that was a big exception."

Ed continued to listen in silence.

"But if you read my journal, which you're not going to, by the way," She gave him a look and smiled before turning serious again. "If you read it, these past couple years, there hasn't been one entry that hasn't mentioned you." She took a deep breath. "What I'm saying is hard, Ed." She whispered the words, and he took her hand in his. "I said I was sorry earlier. And I am. I'm sorry that I didn't face reality sooner, if that's what it is I'm facing. Or fate, even. Because every time I told myself that I was rejecting you for your own sake, I think it just sealed our future even more.

"What I'm saying is-" Carol was interrupted when their food came, and she gave him a shrug of apology.

"Keep going, the food can get cold." He said, keeping his hand in hers. She gave it a quick squeeze.

"I, um, I want to be with you," She pinched her lips together in a fashion that made her look like she was waiting to be denied, and her eyes got glossy.

Ed sighed heavily, a smile forming in his eyes. "I want to be with you, too. And I know that wasn't easy for you to say." He paused a minute, just looking at her. "What about Dennis…? On Valentine's-"

Carol cut him off. "That's over. For good. It should have never started."

"Really. What happened?"

She cocked her head to the side, picking up her fork and messing around with her food. Ed did the same. "I finally came to my senses. Realized the whole relationship was just a deterrent. We went over to my house that night, and… well, all I could think of was you. That look I had put on your face. Then I tried to talk Dennis into going back to Mike and Nancy's, and he thought I was insane. So I broke up with him. He thought it was ridiculous, of course, but." She shrugged, running her finger along the rim of her wine glass. "I was ready to apologize to you, I had it all figured out how. I was going to tell you yesterday after I got out of school," She let her sentence remain unfinished, he knew what followed.

"When did you leave?" He stuck a ravioli in his mouth.

"Early afternoon. Molly told me when we started to have lunch." 

He nodded. "I must have just left, then."

"Oh, my gosh- I forgot to tell you. I stopped at this diner off the highway, and the lady there knew you!"

"Ruth?" Ed looked at Carol as if she was making a story up.

"Yes! I went in to grab something to eat, and happened to tell her my name, and she said that you had just been in there. She said I needed to find you."

Ed grinned. "She's a really nice lady. We had a good talk,"

"So I heard. You turned me into a crazy person, you know," She watched him through her eyelashes.

"How so? Weren't you crazy before?" He joked.

"Excellent point. But Ed, I got pulled over for speeding. I never get pulled over. Ruth had told me how close in time I was to you, and I guess my foot got lead in it, because I was a maniac. Then, when I finally got here, I stayed up all night calling hotels looking for you," 

"I think that's called stalking," He smiled, watching her blush.

"I know. See what I meant? Crazy. I was just afraid. But what else is new, right?"

"You don't have to be afraid anymore, Carol."

And for once in her life, Carol could say honestly, "I know. I'm not."

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The rest of their dinner was very pleasant, and they decided to prolong it by ordering dessert as well. By the time they were done, it was edging past eleven, but they were both still on an emotional high.

"What now?" Ed asked in a tone that suggested if Carol even so much as mentioned mountain climbing, he'd be up for it.

"I don't know. I don't want to stop with this,"

"Where are you staying?" He asked. She told him. "That's a block from me."

"Are you serious? That whole time I was calling…" She let her voice trail off. "Hey, when are you planning on going back home?"

"I don't know. I was planning on Monday, but now that…" He cleared his throat, disrupting himself. "I guess I don't need to be here anymore."

"We could stay here, still. Just the two of us," The offer was bold for her, he knew this.

"It would be nice, huh, to be away from everyone for a while longer." She nodded at his words. "Carol, I just…" She opened her eyes wide, listening intently as she had been all evening. "I don't want us to rush… this."

A smile played at her lips. "Fifteen years is rushing it, is it, Stevens?"

He chuckled softly. "You know what I mean,"

"I do." 

Neither of them spoke for a while, each looking at different corners of the restaurant.

"So," Ed said.

"So," Carol repeated.

"Is this the end of the night?"

She sighed. "I guess so,"

"Do you want to walk back? It's not too far,"

"Yeah. Walking is nice."

He paid the check and they left, holding hands as they strolled down the sidewalk.

"You know, if someone had told me yesterday that I'd be walking down the street tonight holding hands with Carol Vessey, I would have never believed them."

She smiled, not showing her teeth.

"Hey, you never told me, how were you going to apologize to me?" He rubbed her palm lightly with his thumb.

"Oh, God," She looked up to the heavens, as if praying. "I really have to tell you, huh?"

Ed was already laughing. "Yep."

"Okay, okay." Carol reluctantly opened her purse and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to him while leaning her head forward, thereby covering her face with hair.

Ed read the paper out loud. It was a typed-up newspaper article. "Breaking News: Stuckeyville, Ohio. This just in. In the turn of events which took place on the night of Valentine's Day (details which remain undisclosed) Carol Vessey, an English teacher at Stuckeyville High, proceeded to screw up what very well may have been the one thing going for her. Her good friend, Ed Stevens (most of you may know him as the bowling-alley-lawyer, but he is in fact much more), who was simply trying to make Miss Vessey's night, fell victim to her stupidity and blindness. It is still undetermined whether Mr. Stevens will ever forgive her for her foolishness, but Miss Vessey had this to say, 'Ed is the sweetest, most considerate man I know. Without him in my life, I don't know what I would do. I can't loose him, and I plan to make this up to him.' I think that says it all."

Ed stopped walking in order to laugh, and Carol playfully punched him.

"I told you it was dumb. I'm not good at that spontaneous romantic stuff like you are," She said, her dimples showing as she watched Ed in convulsions.

"No, no, it was great," He waved the paper at her.

"I was going to get them to put it in the High school newspaper,"  
"Are you serious?"

Carol nodded. 

"See, you're good at 'that stuff.'" She smiled at him, knowing he was most likely just humoring her.

"Maybe it's just because it was you I was doing it for," She said softly, moving closer to Ed, until they were so close that she swore it hurt to not touch him. She lifted her arm, started to put it back down in hesitation, and then lifted it again, this time placing her hand on his chest, near the base of his neck.

Ed moved in closer, his hand holding her elbow, pulling her nearer to him.

"Ed…" she whispered, gazing straight into his eyes.

"Yeah," he replied, just as softly.

"We won't be interrupted this time."

He nodded ever so slightly before shutting his eyes and kissing her, and in that instant that their lips touched, it seemed as if they couldn't get close enough. Carol was on her tiptoes, trying to prevent any air from getting in between them. In her head, she was thanking God that Ed's arms were around her, holding her as if he knew she couldn't stand it if he ever let her go.

When you're outside on a sunny day and step back inside, and it's bright and dark all at the same time, everything is disoriented- that's how Carol had felt up until this point. Now, everything was becoming visible. She could see the details- the man who had been standing there all along, the man who she had been too blind to see clearly.

Any stranger who had happened to be on the street and see them that night would have said it seemed like they belonged together like that. That they fit. Because they did. And they would have said that it must have always been so, they must have always had each other.

Because they had.

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They reached Ed's hotel first, and stood at the door facing each other, both having a flashback of Prom night.

"Do you want to come in and watch TV or a movie or something?" Ed finally said.

Carol eyed him. "Really? TV." She enunciated the two letters strongly. "I thought you said you wanted to take this slow?"

"I do. I just want to watch TV with you," He got that embarrassed smile on his face, and she did the same.

"Okay." She linked her arm in his again and they entered the hotel.

Once in Ed's room, the two took pop cans out of the mini-fridge before they grabbed the comforter off of the bed and bundled up on the couch, Ed's arm around Carol's shoulders. They were in time to catch most of the Late Show, Carol laughing out loud at Ed's comments on the guests and his Letterman impersonation. Slowly, they both drifted to sleep, Carol's head on Ed's chest, his arm over her.

He woke the next morning, trying not to move enough to wake Carol, who mumbled slightly when he brushed her hair back from her face. Ed looked down at the sleeping blonde woman in his arms, pulled her closer to him, put his mouth to her ear and softly whispered, "You were so worth the fight."


	8. The End

A year later, on February 16th, Carol slipped Ed a conversation heart. He was about to toss it into his mouth when Carol's yelp stopped him.

"No! No… Ed, read it first," She pleaded, so anxious that he swore she was about to twist her earlobe off.

He read the pink heart out loud. "Marry Me." his voice drifted off on the third syllable. "Carol…"

"Will you?" She asked, taking his hands.

"I wanted to ask you, I've been thinking about it," He said, looking at his golden girl.

"I know. I wanted to make you sure of my answer. I love you," Carol spoke with a smile on her lips. And so, on the best day of his life, Ed did what any man in love would do. He wrapped his future wife in his arms and kissed her.

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. . . t h e e n d


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